Seeking Answers for Care Homes during the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID SEARCH)

Spilsbury, Karen; Devi, Reena; Griffiths, Alys; Akrill, Cyd; Astle, Anita; Goodman, Claire; Gordon, Adam; Hanratty, Barbara; Hodkinson, Peter; Marshall, Fiona; Meyer, Julienne; Thompson, Carl

Abstract

The care and support of older people residing in long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic has created new and unanticipated uncertainties for staff. In this short report, we present our analyses of the uncertainties of care home managers and staff expressed in a self-formed closed WhatsApp™ discussion group during the first stages of the pandemic in the UK. We categorised their wide-ranging questions to understand what information would address these uncertainties and provide support. We have been able to demonstrate that almost one-third of these uncertainties could have been tackled immediately through timely, responsive and unambiguous fact-based guidance. The other uncertainties require appraisal, synthesis and summary of existing evidence, commissioning or provision of a sector- informed research agenda for the medium- to longer-term. The questions represent wider internationally relevant care home pandemic related uncertainties.

Citation

Spilsbury, K., Devi, R., Griffiths, A., Akrill, C., Astle, A., Goodman, C., …Thompson, C. (2021). Seeking Answers for Care Homes during the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID SEARCH). Age and Ageing, 50(2), 335–340. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaa201

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 9, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 15, 2020
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Deposit Date: Sep 18, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 16, 2021
• Journal: Age and Ageing
• Print ISSN: 0002-0729
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2834
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 50
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 335–340
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaa201
• Keywords: Ageing; Geriatrics and Gerontology; General Medicine
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4912280
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/50/2/335/5905867
• Additional Information: This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Age and Ageing following peer review. The version of record Karen Spilsbury, Reena Devi, Alys Griffiths, Cyd Akrill, Anita Astle, Claire Goodman, Adam Gordon, Barbara Hanratty, Peter Hodkinson, Fiona Marshall, Julienne Meyer, Carl Thompson, Seeking Answers for Care Homes during the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID SEARCH), Age and Ageing, is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/ageing/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ageing/afaa201/5905867